Girls Just Wanna Have Funds » Frugality

Tightening An Already Frugal Family Budget

Ginger — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 06:00:46 +0000

Frugality is at an all time high, especially with the current state of our economy. Many have had to cut back on certain luxuries while others have had to cut back on necessities. But what do you do when gas and grocery prices continue to rise? Some have began to ask themselves, “what can I really do without?”

A reader asked:

“Hey Ginger,
My family and I have been living on an already tight budget. We no longer go out to eat, I pack my lunch for work, only go shopping for extreme necessities and I avoid Target at all costs because that has been a weakness and budget sore spot. How much more can we cut our budget? I feel like we are doing all the things we are supposed to do. Do you have any ideas?”

Of course this question varies depending on your income, budget, number of people in your home etc etc. So I asked the ladies at DCSG: “Frugal Budgets: What are you doing to cut back?” They are certified budgeting babes so I felt their varied replies could give our reader some insight into further cutting back her family budget:

Here are some of the replies:

I am STAYING AT HOME and not running all over the place. When I go out I am tempted to spend! -MS-

Normally when I take my son to his martial arts class I would go back home and then return to get him. NOPE…I sit in th eparking lot and wait for his butt. I have the younger two bring homework, books, games….whatever to pass the time. We have to figure something else out when it’s winter time. -AB-

I got rid of my XM radio, scaled back on my cable pkg, thinking about cutting back on my cell phone plan. TH

I am getting rid of my XM and I scaled back on my cell phone plan. I have FIOS, so my cable, home phone, and internet are one package HG

1-Cut back on eating out
2-Only 2 PPV movies monthly
3-I’m a cheese freak so I no longer buy high end cheeses (excepting
Jarlsberg)
4-Stopped weekly professional manicures and only spend $10-$15 on my
salon visits and I have a standing appt to go 2x a month -AC-

I’ve always been pretty frugal…but I’ve cut back DRASTICALLY on eating out…I used to get take out at least 2times a week (when my daughter wasnt home) -but now I make enough on the days she is home to have left overs the next day…- IM -

I bring my lunch, water, tea, buy in bulk, reduce trips, clip coupons…so I dont get caught up in the zeal to overspend…and the greatest sacrifice was that I reduced my shoe/clothing purchases TREMENDOUSLY.. MK

Because of the economy, i think now is a great time to call up your service providers and renegotiate your pricing - it’s really worth the try - all they can tell you is “no”
I was able to negotiate new pricing on my home phone/internet service with Starpower - i am receiving the same services for over $30 less a month
I was also able to negotiate lower pricing on my direct tv package, saving over $20 a month LS

I just got my comcast internet bill down from 80$ to $29 all just for asking!!

My advice:

Focus On Monthly Spending

IF you want laser accuracy into your spending habits, for 1-3 months, only use your debit card and track spending from your accounts using Yodlee.com. Make sure most if not all spending is tracked via one account as this makes it easier to get an overall view in one place.

For example, this month I need to focus on groceries, personal care and eating out. Those were budget busters last month in part due to travelling and becoming obsessed with hair and beauty products. Some of the stuff I just need to cut back on and others I need to eliminate. So this is the kind of insight I get by using Yodlee to track my spending.

Cable/Satelite

Do you need Cable/Satelite? I know I’m going to get some gasps here, especially with the digital switch coming in February 2009, but there are alternatives for the must haves in your life.

Apple/iTunes is your friend. If you’re always on the go and never at home to watch your favorite episode anyway, dump the Tivo and your cable company then plug in to iTunes. iTunes allows you to watch your favorite television shows online for a small fee, $1.99. For example, Lost, Greys Anatomy and Boston Legal can be bought per episode for $1.99 which equals $24 per month. A benefit for you is that you get to watch them sans commercials and on your own time. Apple also now offers movie rentals from $2.99-$3.99 and HD for a dollar more.

Tip: Most major network shows can be watched FREE on their respective sites such as ABC, NBC and the like. You’re able to catch up on all the episodes you missed without paying hefty cable access fees.

Share Your Budget/Spending with like-minded Savers

I recently shared my September spending with my online personal finance group for women, and Im getting some good feedback about the areas I need to watch for and how to cut back. Even though I write about personal finance, budgeting seems to be a problem as no month is ever the same in our house. So this is a challenge.

Lifehacker Recommends Reducing Gas Expenses by:

Search for the lowest gas prices online at GasBuddy.

Save up to $100 a year on gas by keeping your engine tuned and your tires inflated to their proper pressure.

Avoid driving as much as possible. When traveling short distances, you can walk or even ride a bike. This will save you hundreds of dollars and probably get you in the best shape of your life.

Finally, Negotiate Needs vs Wants

This is different for everyone but to figure out, your needs vs. wants. Millionaire Mommy Next Door has a great article on how to Uncover Needs vs Wants Do you need to have a shopping budget item? Can you challenge yourself cut back on your shopping habit? This means no shoes and no cute top on sale at Target or Nordstrom.

Questions: Do you have any advice for our reader questions? What areas are you cutting back on due to recent changes in the economy?

Whole Foods On The Cheap? Tips On Shopping At Your Favorite Organic Food Destination

Ginger — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 10:00:21 +0000

The Whole Foods gods must have been listening this week as we adjusted our food budget to only include organic foods. This means only shopping at Whole Foods and after reading this article, it cinched the decision as the following statement blew us away because my husband and I really try to live a healthy lifestyle:

The FDA estimates that 20 pounds of pesticides are used per person per year in the U.S., and at least 50 of these are classified as carcinogenic.

This was a decision that took some thought given the rising grocery costs but we want to be more responsible in the area of what we put into our bodies.

So what’s a girl on a budget to do? Well the Whole Food gods made it easier by creating Value Tours!

From the NY Daily News:

Faced with rising food prices and a national recession, Whole Foods has launched free value tours, leading groups of bargain hunters through the aisles of natural, sustainable and organically made goods.

Other Whole Foods’ deals include their house line of 365 shampoos and conditioners (16 ounces for $1.99; 32 ounces for $3.79). There’s their Whole Catch line of frozen prepared foods ($3.99 for a 10 ounce box of fish sticks) or their fresh, 6-ounce individually portioned filets of fish for roughly the same size per pound as bigger cuts, nice for one or two people.

For all proteins — like chicken, beef, pork or fish — there’s a case of family-sized “value packs” that are at least a $1 per pound less. And for literally any dry good item in the store — meaning everything from diapers to spaghetti sauce to bottled water to energy bars — you can get a 5% discount if you buy it by the case.

Beyond these specific deals, however, the tours are also designed to highlight overall strategies for cutting costs on your bill.

They got the message! What this means for the budding Bargain Mama is that Whole Foods is finally recognizing that even those who live on a budget want to eat healthy.

Value Tours are conducted by Whole Foods employees who guide budget conscious consumers through the aisles showin them how to shop at Whole Foods. Honestly? I didn’t think that Whole Foods had sales because they are a bit on the expensive side. I’ve never seen a sale circular so when we shop there, we know to take the hit and keep on moving.

But now, we know that there are sales cards as I like to call them stationed throughout the store in for consumers to pick up as they go along. Now, they aren’t as in depth as what you’re used to at your neighborhood grocery store, but it suffices in addition to the yellow signs that indicate sale items throughout the store.

Why Whole Foods? Because Shoppers, Giant and Safeway have all increased in prices significantly in my neck of the woods. What used to be a $100 grocery run is now $165. If we’re going to spend that much then we might as well go to Whole Foods and get our main items there. Non food items we can still get at the grocery or Dollar store.

Before our trip to NYC this weekend I stopped by to pick up some sushi, salmon and my favorite, fruit parfait straight from their bakery. I did have a talk with the Store Manager on duty and she agreed that it’s important for shoppers to be on the lookout for their favorite and routine items on sale.

Here are some more tips from the article on how to shop frugally at Whole Foods:

USE WEEKLY SALES FLYERS: Like most other markets, says Whole Foods’ value tour guide Allison Smith, the store puts out its new yellow weekly sales sheet on Wednesdays, marking each sales item in the store with a large yellow sale sign. So once you learn what tags are used for sales at markets, you can easily scan the store for deals.

SHOP SEASONALLY: “In produce,” says Smith, “the really big thing to look for is seasonally and locally.” When you buy local food some of the transportation costs have been cut out, she says, and when you buy what’s in season, there’s more of it, meaning the price goes down.

BUY STORE BRANDS: Many house brand items are just as good as brand names, and some stores even contract with the same people who make brand name products to create their versions. They’re often much cheaper than sales items or even post-coupon prices.

BUY IN BULK: If you can buy just the amount you need from bulk bins, says Smith, food won’t go to waste and you’ll save on packaging costs. Or if you can buy in larger quantities, you’ll save on cost per pound or unit, too.

CONSIDER COUPONS: Many times store brands are cheaper than items bought with a coupon, but you should still check out weekly newspaper circulars and mailings for brands you buy regularly.

Great news right? Do you shop at Whole Foods? If yes, is it for health reasons? Do you have any bargain mama tips to share?

The Cost of Service: Leaving Verizon for AT&T

Ginger — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 10:00:00 +0000

photo credit: elisfanclub

I switched to ATT from Verizon with monthly cost being the motivator because of advanced technology and lower rates with the AT&T Family Plan. For the last 3 years Iâ€™ve had the Verizon Palm Treo, but with my recent decision to downgrade our budget, the Treo had to go. I could no longer justify the heft bills. Welcome iPhone and AT&T.

Service:

Verizon, while I will admit they have the best reception and customer service and would rate them at a 9, ATT follows close behind at an 8. The customer service has been great between Apple and AT&T as they were very helpful in getting me familiarized with the iPhone and coordinating my initial setup. AT&T also let us keep our 4000 rollover minutes when hubby added me to his account. AT&T also includes the data within the overall rate plan whereas Verizon does not, forcing me to pay an additional $40 for unlimited data in order to access the Internet. Not hot. Especially when Sprint (although known for their horrible customer service), charges $15 for the same data plan.

Price:
Verizon/Treo
As I mentioned above, with Verizon and the Treo, I was paying $40 for the data plan, $79.99 for the voice plan which didnâ€™t include charges for text messaging, picture messaging, insurance, taxes and other miscellaneous fees. Our bills were CONSTANTLY $300+ and hubby’s bills were around $150 for his Treo. Over the summer we paid $600+- for our CELL phones due to overages and going overseas. I could no longer justify staying with Verizon paying that much just for service. Are you kidding me? Once I found out about the family plan offered by AT&T for the iPhone I made plans to jump ship.

AT&T/Apple iPhone
We are currently on the Family plan with ATT. We get 2100 minutes for $109.00, which includes text messaging, voice and data. So in total OUR bill will be $150. Thatâ€™s a $300-$400 savings in our pocket and an individual rate plan cost of $75 per user. Verizon who?

Technology
Palm/Verizon kept insulting my techie sensibilities with the paltry upgrades they were giving the Palm Treo. I LOVED the Treo but even now with the 755p, its still not an upgrade worth spending Treo money on.

The iPhone is a superior device, not perfect but I believe for my needs, the best on the market. I am not particularly picky so you won’t see me crying for the lack of a camera recorder on the Howard Forums.

The Voyager released by Verizon last month was made in response to the iPhone. It is in no way innovative which means that this will be the ONLY version of it you will have. Thatâ€™s it. Verizon hoped to sell a few thousand units by the end of 2007 while the iPhone is shooting for somewhere in the millions? How is that the iPhone killer or the answer? Sure, it builds on the iPhone weaknesses but really, if Verizon planned to come with it, then they would have given us the iPhone features and built upon its weaknesses in the Voyager. Instead, they chose to copy and create a device, which pales in comparison to the iPhone.

People tend to stay with their cell phone providers for a variety of reasons. However, I could no longer justify the crazy bills due to having a high maintenance smart phone. So there you have it. Those were my reasons and I swear I havenâ€™t looked back.

8 Frugal and Cost Cutting Tips for the Newly Independent

Ginger — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 05:42:49 +0000

photo credit: CarbonNYC

May is around the corner which for some means graduation from high school, college or graduate school. I remember the feeling well. And, while it meant being released from the bosom of self discovery into the arms of adult responsibilities, I looked forward to it with enthusiasm.

I moved to DC in 2003 and I remember talking to my Uncle about all the things I’d need to take into consideration on my meager salary. He wanted to make sure that I was well informed about the realities of adulthood which meant being independent and paying for everything on my own. Now its my turn, for those of you that are graduating high school, college or even graduate school, here are 8 frugal and cost cutting tips to take into consideration when spreading your wings.

Apartment

Consider the cost of living wherever you are headed. After living in NYC for most of my life and then moving to DC, for some reason I thought apartments were dirt cheap since I was moving to the “south”. Ha! I told my uncle that I’d found an apartment for $580 per month in NE DC (not knowing a lick of information about the area mind you…) he just agreed to take me over to the area to judge for myself. While he got a hearty laugh, as I realized we were now in the not so great part of DC, I almost broke down when I realized that where I actually wanted to live, Alexandria/Arlington, VA was more like $1100 per month.

I knew that was out of my budget and regretted taking the position because I wasnt able to afford to live in one of the better parts of town. I didn’t want a roommate and settling for NE DC (no offense anyone) wasn’t in the cards. Looking back I should have considered a roommate in a better part of town. What did I do? I chose an apartment in an OK part of town for $750 per month and lived solo. I’d never live there again but it worked for the time being and I was able to save money.

Lessons Learned:

Visit the new city before signing a lease or settling on a particular part of town.
Consider having a roommate or two, as this greatly subsidizes the cost of living in a better part of town while meeting new people
If you aren’t splitting utilities, find an apartment that includes utilities in the rent. With rising utility costs you’ll avoid paying the high heating/energy bills depending on the season.

Transportation

DC is very different from NY in that people who move here aim to live near their place of employment, while in NYC, its pretty normal to have a 90 minute commute to work getting from Queens to Manhattan. Imagine my excitement when I figured out that my commute would be 20 minutes max! Well that’s because my apartment was walking distance to the metro and I was also 5 minutes from the beltway. If I drove in then my commute increased to an hour because of the traffic getting into DC.

Lessons Learned

Choose an apartment or house within walking distance of public transportation the metro
Forgo purchasing a car if you live near a metro as this will save you money on a possible car note, parking, fees, gas, insurance and maintenance
Before signing the lease, take public transporation around your neighborhood and to work as you would on a typical day. As you get settled in, you’ll be familiar with the area and hopefully not skip a beat as you make your way around your new neighborhood.

Set Up Automatic Bill Pay for all Bills

This includes student loans and credit cards. Don’t risk getting hit with a late fee because you’ll get so caught up in your move that financial obligations fall through the cracks. As I got settled into my new apartment a few bills didn’t get paid because I totally forgot. Why? the credit card company hadn’t sent the statement to my new address and it slipped my mind to call and pay the bill. Also keep in mind that when you pay over the phone, most credit card companies charge you a convenience fee and using checks opens yourself up to identity theft and possibly not mailing the payment to the correct address. If you must use snail mail, use the envelope that accompanies your statement.

Lessons Learned

Set up automatic bill pay to ensure on time payment of all monthly financial obligations
If you must use snail mail, use the enclosed envelope that accompanies your statement

Compare Cost of Living with New Salary

This was one of my biggest mistakes when moving to DC,not understanding what my salary would afford. I saw $23, 000 and thought, oh Im rich! I was sadly mistaken and in for the shock of my life when I realized I didnt have enough money to go shopping for new clothes or eat out for lunch with my colleagues. Had I known how to negotiate a better salary I might have been in a better position once I moved here. While I know some believe in paying your dues, I believe strongly in paying the bills. And, after spending 4 years and amassing thousands in student loans, college graduates should command salaries that will keep them just above the working poor, ie living paycheck to paycheck.

Command what you are worth and don’t settle for a salary that will limit you in terms of quality of life and being able to pay your bills, save and live comfortably.

Lessons Learned

Master the art of negotiating your salary if the offer falls below your target goal
Compare the cost of living with your salary offer and determine if you will be able to save and cover your monthly expenses without having to eat Ramen Noodles every night
Use the Paycheckcity calculators to determine how much money you will actually take home every pay period

Sign up for a Local Food or Grocery Charity

The cost of groceries here in DC is higher than NYC. *shrug* Don’t ask me why as I thought the opposite would be true, I was quite surprised after leaving my local Giant supermarket one afternoon. Neighbors told me about Sharedc.org which allowed me to get groceries on the cheap at $18 a bag. This included fruits, veggies, meats and some snacks. It was enough to subsidize my grocery spending significantly. I still toy with the idea of doing the same thing now given the rise in food expenses.

Lessons Learned

Compare prices of your food staples and create a price book to help you keep track of your favorite items
Sign up with local food charities like ShareDC.org or Angel Food Ministries
Cut coupons from the Sunday newspaper to save even more money
Utilize sites like The Grocery Game to compare local sales in your area
Buy in bulk in addition to utilizing food charities
Plan your meals for the week and use leftovers for lunch

Decorating Your new Diggs

While I was on a Ms Independent kick, my mom did purchase my first bedroom set and my uncle purchased all of my kitchenware, bedroom and bathroom linens. I went for a while without real living room furniture because I refused to go into debt for furniture I wouldn’t take with me to the next apartment. I advise you to o the same. I scoured Craigslist for a futon frame and bought a cheap futon mattress from a retail store, bought a 20 inch TV for $30 and a coffee table set for $55. My living room was now complete! All courtesy of Craigslist.org. My futon doubled as a bed whenever friends stayed over and I had a working TV along with a semi new coffee table set. Had I gone out and purchased a new living room set it would have set me back over $1000.

Lessons Learned

Check into semi used furniture to cut on the cost of furnishing your new space

More Lessons Learned….

Spend Less than you Earn while Devising a Plan to Earn More
- Create a budget and stick to it. Know how much you need for monthly bills and how much you have remaining for discretionary spending. While keeping this in mind, remain focused and purposed in devising your next step. Set career goals that will enable you to be promoted by learning new skills through graduate school or taking on extra responsibilities.
Buy New Work Clothes on the Cheap and Recycle What You Already Have
- Stores like Charlotte Rousse, Forever 21 and H&M are a godsend in helping a fab fashionista remain updated on the cheap

While this is a new and exciting time in your life, make a serious attempt to reign in your spending habits as this will be useful as you learn to make better decisions when it comes to money. What are some tips you have for the new graduate in a new town? How did you handle your finances in your first year after college?

photo credit: CarbonNYC

5 Ways to Achieve a Frugal State of Mind

Ginger — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 23:31:33 +0000

My friends have noticed my recent cut backs on my random spending and of course they’re asking what prompted this new “way of thinking“, you know as if pigs are flying. I responded that this is a lifestyle change. After looking at October, November and December’s spending I realized that I had way too many regrets. Too many things purchased that I didn’t need, too many things purchased because I needed a lil “pick me up”,or as we like to call it “retail therapy”.

So what exactly is the Frugal State of Mind and how do we get there?

1. Maintaining Your Perspective

In my previous post I discussed this at length because it is imperative that one maintain their perspective when in pursuit of a goal. This means that if purchasing that new dress because you had a bad day at work doesn’t fit in with your goals then its a no go. What happens after we get home? We begin to ask ourselves whether or not we truly needed that new dress. Especially when we have 5 other ones just like it in our closet.

2. Understanding the difference between needs and wants

Think about it. What are your basic needs? What do you need to get by every day? I understand that it is different for everyone so I won’t get on my soapbox and preach about it but be introspective in this area. Think about all the things you’ve purchased or spent money on over the last week. Do they fit in with your goals for saving money? If not, its time to make some adjustments to your spending habits. Ask yourself, do I need this? If you’re unsure then take a couple weeks to make the decision and then revisit the purchase.

3. Curb Wasteful Spending Habits

Check yourself in this area. So many of us think that we are entitled to something when indeed we aren’t. If you can’t pay for it in cash then don’t bother, you aren’t entitled to it if you have mounting consumer debt. Debt is being a slave to someone else (credit card companies). They are constantly winning the bet that they will have you by the neck for the next 10 years. So check the sense of entitlement that would lead you to spend money you don’t have.

4. Just Do It!

Being frugal is about taking action and control over your finances. Not the other way around. Sometimes we sit there and look at our debt and we get paralyzed. It happens. We complain constantly about having emergencies pop up every month and not being able to do anything about it. Well, yes you can!

Establish an emergency fund. A mini emergency fund for starters that covers the typical emergencies you experience. Get a second or third job to get to this goal. Nothing is impossible, even in the worst of circumstances it takes hard work and determination to get where you need to be. And sitting back and letting your finances control you isn’t taking action
Cut up your credit cards. I didn’t say close them but cut them up. ‘Nuff said.
Create and examine your monthly budget. Are there things you look back upon and think you should have never purchased? Great! That’s where you begin to save money. Understand that the answers lie within, and not in some book. Sure we learn from each other but if you’re truly looking for a way to get up from out under debt then the answers lie with you. Examine every category and see where you can cut back or stop spending unnecessarily.

Get on the road to financial freedom. Intend and declare it. You’ll find that when you change your perspective, you gain more control of your situation.

5. Attitudinal Shift/Change

What are your attitudes towards money? Does it control you? Or do you control it? Last night while reading “How to Think Like a Millionaire“, I came across this passage:

…[money]….is an excellent servant but a cunning and powerful master. It can be seductive, drawing all one’s energy and time into it’s acquisition. Create a positive view of money. Money can be a powerful agent of good in the world.”

Have you mastered this area of your life or has it mastered you? Why? Appearances? Entitlement? What does money really mean to you? If you don’t know at the very least it should be a way to achieve ad maintain financial security. At the very least. If you’re in a state of financial turmoil then it is controlling you and perhaps it is time to examine your priorities.

Change your attitude, change your life.

Let it marinate. I had to and am going through this process myself. Money is a great and wonderful thing but only when you take control of it and understand what it means to you. Being frugal is a means to an end for me in that I am going to be a millionaire and I don’t want to wait until the ripe ole age of 65 to be one. But these are the steps I must take in order to get there. I have learned a great deal in my journey thus far and the best lesson learned is learning how to be frugal. Why? Ive learned about my spending habits, attitudes towards money, established concrete goals and made significant changes in how I handle money. All of which will help me on my way to my goal of being a millionaire. So you see, being frugal isn’t about being cheap and miserly, it is about a mindset and a lifestyle change that results in financial security. That is my ultimate goal.

What are your goals and how will you get there?

photo credit: vnysia

Cheap Alternatives for the Must Haves in your Life Pt. 3 of 3

Ginger — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:00:03 +0000

Here’s the 3rd and final installation of Cheap Alternatives for the Must Haves in your Life. You can find part 1 and 2 here and here. Enjoy!

Hotel Stays

House Swap
- Folks sometimes advertise their digs hopes of an exchange. What kind of exchange? You let me stay at your place and I’ll let you stay at mine. Check it out here.
Couch Surfing
Sign up for price alerts via SpiritAir because they are famous for their $9 fare club airfare specials and with that savings you can totally afford to stay at a hotel. We took advantage of this and were able purchase airline tickets to Miami last Spring for $90-total for 2 people.

Gym Membership

Here are a few alternatives to that pricey gym membership:

Do it yourself! Yes I said it!

Calisthenics
- The primary calisthenic exercises are:

Sit-ups/crunches

Push-ups

Pull-ups

Squats

Calf-raises

Running at local park or around the neighborhood with a partner
Workout at company gym
Workout with exercise programs on demand and record them via Tivo
Purchase small space saving gym equipment on Craigslist and Ebay
- Air Stepper
- Dumbells
- Ab Lounge

Electricity/Gas

The bane of my existence in the dead of winter and the middle of summer. It’s no news that heating and gas prices have shot through the proof but I am determined to keep my bills to the minimum. By employing these practices in our home we expect to save roughly 30% on our heating and gas bills.

Buy an automatic thermostat and set the heat to come on at 5am and 6pm or whenever you rise and go to sleep/get home.

Wear warmer clothes such as a sweater and thick socks and lower the thermostat.

Heart of the Earth also recommends:
- Use compact fluorescent bulbs. They last 10 times as long as standard incandescent bulbs and use only one-fourth of the energy to produce the same amount of light. Even with the higher purchase price, they save over $40 per bulb over their lifetime.
- Air leaks around doors, attic openings, outlets and windows in the typical American home are the equivalent of leaving an average-size window open all the time. Close them with weather stripping for a cost of less than $2.00 for one door or two windows. Hardware stores also sell pre-cut outlet insulators. If you can see daylight around your door, attic hatch or window, it needs weather-stripping or caulking. Reducing small air leaks in your home can save 10 percent or more on your energy bill.
  Get rid of halogen torchieres. They can add $100 or more to your electric bill per year (and are a fire hazard).
  
  Use only the amount of light needed, and turn lights out when you leave a room. Turning them on again, even after a few minutes, uses less energy than leaving them on (even with fluorescents).
  - Web sites for more information
    - http://www.ase.org/powersmart/fbulbs.html
    - http://www.ase.org/powersmart/lightup.html

Personal Finance Software

Stop paying for Quicken and Microsoft Money, Mint.com is free, easy to use, integrates accounts and allows for seamless expense tracking. Best of all? Its FREE!

There you have it! There are things we can all stand to cut back in so that we can save more money. Try just a few of them and see how the savings rack up! Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments!

Frugal Moment of the Week

Ginger — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 10:00:42 +0000

I think this frugality kick is really starting to settle in. Why, you ask? Well today as I was cooking dinner for the man unit I decided to juice a few carrots and a pineapple as I love fresh juice. I’ve never been a fan of store bought juice because of all the preservatives and corn syrup-yuck! So after juicing all the carrots, as usual I have lots of shredded carrots left over. I hate to be westeful so as I fix the plates I got the bright idea to make a carrot cake with the leftover shredded carrots!

I made it from scratch all with ingredients we already had here and it was a HIT! I should have left it a little longer in the oven but it still turned out just fine. Here’s the recipe, just in case any of you want to try it out:

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

3 cups grated carrots
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups white sugar
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup golden raisins
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

READ REVIEWS (86)

Directions

Beat together the eggs, oil, and white sugar. Blend mixture for thirty seconds.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices. Add the carrots and raisins. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients, and mix well.
Pour batter into well greased 10 inch tube or bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for 60 to 70 minutes. Cool cake on wire rack, and then refrigerate until completely cooled.
To make Cream Cheese Glaze: Blend together confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, corn syrup, and vanilla. Spread over cooled cake.

YUM!

Cheap Alternatives for the Must Haves in your Life Pt. 1 of 3

Ginger — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:00:44 +0000

Admit it. Being frugal isn’t something that you look forward to, after all it means that you’ll be giving up or cutting back on some or all of your favorite activities. What if you found a way to cut back without giving up those things completely? And best of all save money? I’ve compiled a list of cheap alternatives for the must haves in our lives and its pretty good if I do say so myself!

~~Retail Therapy~~ Shopping

Gather a list of websites that put together the look for less, here are a few of my favorites:

Also, try out this list from Fashion Under $100. These stores provide trendy options without breaking the bank:

Tip: Check out annual and semi-annual sales and buy clothes at certain times of the year. For example, after Christmas/New Year’s and at the end of every season many department stores seek to unload their inventory so we benefit because of the deep discounts.

Cable TV

Apple/iTunes is your friend. If youâ€™re always on the go and never at home to watch your favorite episode anyway, dump the Tivo and your cable company then plug in to iTunes. iTunes allows you to watch your favorite television shows online for a small fee, $1.99. For example, Lost, Greys Anatomy and Boston Legal can be bought per episode for $1.99 which equals $24 per month. A benefit for you is that you get to watch them sans commercials and on your own time. Apple also now offers movie rentals from $2.99-$3.99 and HD for a dollar more.

If that doesnâ€™t work for you then hang out at a friendâ€™s house, go to your local sports bar, or join a meetup.com group that gets together to hang out and watch popular network shows. This option really appeals to me as I am moving towards not scheduling my life around entertainment in an effort to become more productive.

Tip: Most major network shows can be watched FREE on their respective sites such as ABC, NBC and the like. Youâ€™re able to catch up on all the episodes you missed without paying hefty cable access fees.

Automobile

One thing I love about living in a major metropolitan area is that we have so many options for getting around town. Zip Car is an option for those of us who only need a car infrequently which doesnâ€™t warrant taking on a car payment, insurance, gas and maintenance which can be costly. Makes sense right? Zip Car rates start at $50 per month for the extra value plan, 9/hr or $66/day for occasional driving.

Hereâ€™s a map with their current locations:

This way youâ€™re able to have the convenience of a car without the monetary commitment. The access fees pay for gas, parking and insurance! You can’t beat that!

Other options include biking to work, using public transportation and carpooling. The latter brings to mind an awesome service facilitated by Erideshare.com. Just pull up your state and connect with others carpooling in your area. From the website: â€œyou’ll find this service a good way to commute or travel inexpensively, and maybe even make a few friends.â€ I think itâ€™s a neat idea, especially if youâ€™re new to town and looking to save money, this is a great option.

Now if you must have a car, then buy it used or another kind of used car becoming popular amongst the frugal, Beater Cars. Why? According to Beater Review, buying new is for suckers! Love that! But with a new car depreciating 20-30% in the first year it makes perfect sense. Check out this review of the Mazda Miata, the ultimate chick car, or not. This saves you extra money on insurance and in most cases wonâ€™t have a car payment. Also, check out this article on MSN Money-20 ways you waste money on your car.

Tip: Make the best choice for you and your situation. Everyone doesnâ€™t live hear a major metropolitan city with the benefits of a Zip Car but buying a car that wonâ€™t have much out of pocket expense or carpooling may be another option suitable for you.

Eating Out

Weâ€™re guilty of this especially with our favorite restaurant and when we hang out in a new part of town. Cutting back in this area takes discipline and maintaining your perspective: saving money. A few alternatives include:

Potluck with friends
- This is a great way to hang out with friends and try out new dishes. If there are leftovers you can bring on the Tupperware to pick up some leftovers for work or dinner the next day.
- For the uber frugal-I know a couple who potlucks with friends every other weekend. They get together on Sunday and bring large portions of eat least 3 meals. Of course the larger the group the better the selection. They get together eat, laugh, get merry and help each other save money by cooking in bulk and using it for their lunch and dinners during the week. Some get even more creative by turning leftovers into â€œplanned-oversâ€.
Make your favorite restaurant meal at home
- There was a time when I was obsessed with anything Jack Daniels at T.G.I Fridays. I would go for a long lunch at work and later during the week for happy hour. It got expensive until I got the recipe and made it from scratch at home. Bingo! Money saved

Tip: Check out J.D. over at Get Rich Slowly, he has great tips on how to save while eating out here.

What do you think of these alternatives?

Which ones do you employ in your own quest for frugality? Feel free to add yours in the comments section.

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Technorati Tags: cheap, look for less, Apple, iTunes, Zip Car, carpooling, Beater Car, Potluck, planned-overs

Get a $50 AMEX Gift Card for signing up with Verizon FIOS

Ginger — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:00:34 +0000

There’s a catch.

You have to set up your installation for their first available Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday of the month. Seems pretty simple for $50. Even though our order isn’t complete because we want the quoted discount per the contractor that came to our house a few weeks ago, its still a good deal.

We don’t want the bundle because my husband wants the NBA League Pass only available through Crapcast. We also don’t need their Freedom Choice plan because we have the lowest available for roughly $12 a month which is just to make sure that our alarm system has a line to call out should we experience a break in. So we just want FIOS Internet for $34.99 and not $39.99 per the telephone sales rep I just talked to. But I hate Crapcast so much that I know I will call back tomorrow to set it all up through Verizon. After all, they are giving me an unexpected extra $50.

Frugality ROCKS!

**Update**Â

We told Crapcast that we were going to leave them for Verizon FIOS and they lowered our cable and internet bills.Â We now pay $19.99/month for Internet and $24/month for cable which includes all the premium channels.Â They said over 30,000 people left them for Verizon FIOS.Â ROFL!!!!

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Technorati Tags: NBA League Pass, FIOS, Verizon

Menu Planning: Save Money, Time and Lose Weight!

Ginger — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 13:00:35 +0000

My husband and I are pretty busy during the week. This makes it hard to come home from a long day at work and classes to cook a healthy meal. Especially one large enough to last for the next day or two. This past fall semester we fell off the menu planning bandwagon but we plan too get back when the semester starts again in January. I have today to complete the planning for January and February, March and April might be pushing it.

Why menu planning?

Save Money

Last year we got Microsoft Money Plus and I realized that we’d been taking too many unnecessary trips to the supermarket. At one point I was at Harris Teeter 3-4 times a week for things that I could have gotten over the weekend and spending more money thereby putting us over the allotted grocery budget. By planning our meals for the week I was able to spend only what we needed for the week and in most cases that means the basics like chicken, fish and vegetables. We stocked the basics like milk, bread, cheese etc etc bi monthly but would shop weekly for the menu depending on the recipes. This way I wasn’t running to the supermarket like a maniac after work and/or classes buying things I probably would cook that week but wanted to have options. If you’re also a fan of the envelope method, this plan works perfectly in that you’re able to break down your grocery funds weekly and remain under budget. I’m a visual gal so the above calendar works very well for me.

Save Time

As I mentioned above, Ive spent many a evening in the supermarket roaming the aisles trying to figure out what to make for dinner. Since I would often have no idea about what we already had I would spend more time trying to cook up a recipe in my head and then hunt for the ingredients. With menu planning I am able to print out my list of ingredients for the week, go to the supermarket (ex: Saturday or Sunday) and shop for the rest of the week.

Lose Weight

Ladies I know I have your attention! When you plan your menus, you’re not roaming the supermarket aisles on an empty stomach. And we all know that you don’t go grocery shopping on an empty stomach because that leads to impulse buys that will often sabotage our diets. You can also extend this to include breakfast and lunch. This way you can pack your lunch and plan what you will have for breakfast and avoid those midday snacks that’ll bust your diet or healthy eating plan.

How do I get started?

For the techies you can just open up an excel sheet and enter the dishes on the days you plan on cooking. Excel also allows you to place the recipe in the COMMENT section of the cell so that when you hover the mouse over the cell, the recipe pops up.

Example:

Otherwise I’ve seen notebooks, whiteboards and the like. Still the calendar is the most popular from what I’ve seen. You only need something that will enable you to write down your recipe and the ingredients along with the day of the week.

Here’s a printable one from FrugalVillage:

Given my schedule it isnt possible for me to cook every day of the week. So when classes are in session I cook every other day with enough to have left overs. My husband then cooks on Fridays, Saturdays in the summer. This semester he’s volunteered for 2-3 days in the week because I won’t be home until 10pm on those days. This system works pretty well for us because again we’re so busy so we have to share the duties in this area.

Happy Planning!